Affiliated Research Centers and Programs

The CVRC brings together over 130 researchers, physicians and educators to focus on ways to prevent and treat cardiac problems. These investigators represent more than 30 specialties–from genetics to pharmacology and preventive cardiology to cardiovascular surgery. They attack cardiovascular problems through basic research, clinical investigation, diagnosis, treatment and public education.

Working together, Center members combine their unique perspectives, generate new ideas and reduce the time it takes to “translate” new discoveries from laboratories to the aid of patients.

The McPherson Eye Research Institute (MERI) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison was founded by Drs. Daniel M. Albert and Alice McPherson in 2005 to bring under one umbrella the extraordinary diversity and strength of vision research at UW-Madison. Named in honor of pioneering retinal surgeon and University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health graduate Dr. Alice McPherson, the McPherson ERI has quickly become one of the world’s foremost multi-disciplinary vision research centers, with members in 35 UW-Madison departments and affiliated non-UW institutions. Through basic and clinical science research of the eye and visual system, our researchers have made significant advances in vision science and related fields.

The Laboratory for Optical and Computational Instrumentation is a biophotonics instrumentation laboratory stemming from the research activities of its director and founder Kevin Eliceiri and LOCI collaborators. Our mission is to develop advanced optical and computational techniques for imaging and experimentally manipulating living specimens.

New and improved imaging instrumentation and optical-based experimental techniques are being developed. These projects are driven by demands arising from the scientific studies of external collaborators and the principal investigators and opportunities that arise with the emergence of new technology. Instrumentation development is undertaken in a form that is both accessible and beneficial to the scientific community.

LOCI is directed by Kevin Eliceiri, and all inquiries about LOCI collaborations or general imaging questions may be directed to him.

The goal of the University of Wisconsin Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (UW ICTR) is to create an environment that transforms research into a continuum from investigation through discovery and to translation into real-life community practice, thereby linking even the most basic research to practical improvements in human health.

Waisman Biomanufacturing has in-depth experience in manufacturing a wide range of biotherapeutics and vaccines for human clinical trials including gene therapies, cell therapeutics, and both therapeutic and prophylactic vaccines. Waisman has developed platform manufacturing processes and analytical methods to support clinical production of several classes of products including plasmid DNA, Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs), human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESCs), induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs), adenoviral vectors, and lentiviral vectors. In addition, Waisman has supported the development and clinical production of a number of novel types of biotherapeutics from process development through to aseptic fill and finish.

With a broad range of experience in product development and clinical production, Waisman has the insight and expertise to identify and address key issues as they work with you to produce your clinical trial material. Waisman also offers full support for your IND filing by providing QA audited batch records and support for your Investigational New Drug (IND) filing including Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Control (CMC) support and access to the Waisman Biomanufacturing Type V Facility Master File.

The Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, known as the Discovery Building, provides a space for hypercollaborative activity to occur and leverages the breadth of the university, pairing it with the nimbleness and strength of a private medical research organization.

Everything about the building is designed for collaboration, community and interaction. It encourages the people working and visiting here to bump into each other and share ideas. It is strategically located in the heart of campus, closely connected to the university’s core academic centers. A robust science outreach program offers opportunities for visitors young and old to experience the vibrancy of UW–Madison science and reaches tens of thousands of community members annually.

The Discovery Building refers to the facility itself. It houses two research institutes: the private Morgridge Institute for Research and the public Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, also known as WID. It also houses a public space called the Town Center, managed by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), which manages and operates the building on behalf of all tenants. The two research institutes share a common goal of supporting forward-thinking experimentation by exploring fundamental questions across many disciplines and inspiring new generations of scientific thinkers.

Opened in 2010, the building has been recognized as best in class in several ways. It garnered LEED gold certification for its successful integration of energy- and water-saving systems and its reliance on smart features to automatically trigger energy- saving practices. R&D Magazine in 2012 named the building “Lab of the Year,” an international award bestowed on only one laboratory each year.